Ostracon with Themistocles' Name
In ancient Greece, an ostracon (pl. ostraca) was usually a piece of broken pottery or earthenware. It gave its name to the word "ostracize." Athenian citizens would assemble each year to vote on whether to hold an ostracism. If 6,000 voted and the majority approved, then the ostracism was held. The citizens then scratched the name of the person each wanted sent from the community for 10 years on an ostracon. The person with the majority of votes was ostracized. The Athenian general and statesman Themistocles 524–459 was ostracized in 472 or 471. This ostracon was uncovered in Athens and has the name in Greek of Themistocles (top line) scratched into it.
Size: 6129px × 3000px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: ancient, athenian, athens, citizen, code, greece, greek, history, law, legal, ostraca, ostracism, ostracon, themistocles
